Internal-combustion engine



April 14, 1931. F. COKER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l amvzu to'a April 14, 1931. F. L. COKER 1,800,677

I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 25, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 anozntoz April 14, 1931. F. COKER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet s Elvwentoz I 6mm,

UNITED STATES Patented Apr. 14, 1931 PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK L. GOKER, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed February 25, 1929. Serial No. 342,434.

This invention relates to internal combustion' engines, andit has for its object to provide unimproved and novel device of this character, by virtue ofwhich smoothness and efliciency in operation, and great economy in the use of fuel and oil may be eifected.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through an engine constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view upon line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view upon line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and V Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the cylinders and its associated valves.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a fixed supporting shaft upon which a rotor 6 is mounted for bodily rotation through the medium of anti-friction bearings 7 and thrust bearing 8. The rotor comprises a housing formed by the front wall 9, and rear wall 10. and the space within this housing is divided by a wall 11 in such manner as to provide an oil reservoir 12. The shaft carries an eccentric 13, which operates through eccentric rods 14 to actuate the plungers 15 of oil pumps 16. These oil pumps draw oil past check valves 17 from the oil reservoir and discharge it past check valves 18, through pipes 19, to the hubs 20 of levers21, said levers being channeled at 22, for the passage of the oil'through them to their outer extremities, where they are pivoted to piston rods 23. These piston rods are likewise channeled at 24 for the passage of the oil, the oil being conveyed through the channels 24 to wrist pins 25 and thence distributed to oil the pistons 26 of the respective cylinders. The cylinders indicated at 27 may be in any desired number, but are here indicated as being four in number. The rotor and the pistons are provided with cooling ribs 28, and the pistons terminate in housings 29, all of these parts having bodily rotation together about the shaft 5. The return of any surplus oil from the housings 29 is efiected through the return pipes 31, which lead to the oil return pumps 32, the pistons of which are mounted upon the rods 14 and operate in unison therewith, itbeing understood that these pumps draw oil from the return pipes 31 past check valves 33, and force it past check valves 34, back into the reservoir 12. The levers 27 are forked at their inner ends to provide the extremities 27 and 27 and these extremities carry anti-friction elements such as rollers 35, which engage the periphery 'of a cam 36, here shown, for purposes of explanation, as comprising an eight point cam. The arrangement is such that for each complete revolution of the rotor about the shaft 5, each piston will be given eight out-ward strokes and eight inward strokes, or, in other words, each piston will have, during each complete revolution, four working strokes, four exhaust strokes, four intake strokes, and four discharge strokes. The spark plugs, or like igniting devices, are indicated at 37, and may be energized through wires, not shown, leading from magnetos 38, there being one of said magnetos for each cylinder and the magnetos being energized to fire at the proper moment through the medium of timing gears 39, which move bodily with the rotor and rotate about their shafts 40, and a fixed gear 41 with which said timing gears mesh. The intake valves are indicated at 42, and .are actuated by push rods 43 in the travel of the latter over fixed cams 44, upon the shaft 5,'such push rods being provided with anti-friction devices 46, at their inner ends, which are disposed to travel in contact with the said cams. The exhaust valves are indicated at 48, and are operated by exhaust push rods49 from a fixed exhaust cam 50, mounted upon the fixed shaft 5. Oil is fed to the oil reservoirthrough an oil supply pipe 51, from a reservoir 52. A breather pipe 53 is in communication through a channel, 54, of shaft 5, with the oil reservoir 12. Carburetors 56 communicate through channels 57 with a chamber .58. This chamber is made fluid-tight by stuifingboxes 59, and the vaporizcd fuel is drawn from said chamber through fuel pipes 60 to the respective intake manifolds 61. A power head 62, in the nav 9 rality of projections -upon its periphery the z I ture of a hub is carried upon the frontendof the head or casing 9, and may receive a propellor orany suitable element to be driven. The configuration of the levers 27 acting in conjunction with the'configuration,

of the cam 36, imparts reciprocation to the several pistons,with a consequent operation r of the engine that will be readil'yapparent to minimum and smoothness and quietness of each revolution of the rotors 7 and through the fixed shaft'ljoil pumps within .the' housing for drawing oil from the reserr operation is achieved.

It'is to be understood that the invention is v notlimited to the precise construction set forth.;but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims. V Having fully described my inventiomwhat I'claimisz 1. A deviceof the character described, comprising ai'fixe'dshaftya rotor, a plurality of cylinders": tangentially disposed upon said rotor, pistons in said cylinders, piston. rods connected 1 to said pistons, levers 'pivotally forked inner ends, a cam having a plurality of projections uponits periphery, the forked inner ends of the levers engaging a plurality of said projections simultaneously such mannerthat bodily movement of the rotor about the cam imparts reciprocation to the pistons within the cylinders in such way as to provide a plurality of'power strokes for each revolution of the rotor, an oil reservoir withr in andconstituting a part of the housing'and bodily rotating therewith,-means for supplying oil to the oil reservoir through the fixed I shaft, oil pumps within the housing that.

draw oil from said reservoir and discharge it to the pivotpoints of the levers, means for conducting oil from the pivot points of the levers to the pistons within the cylinders, an eccentric upon the shaft, and ,operating elements for the oil pumpsengagingsaid eccentric, i 1 W ,3; In testimony whereof he afiixes hissignature. 7 v ,"FREDERICK L. 'COKER,

connected at-"their outerends to the'piston rods. saidlevers being pivoted upon the rotor at their'inner ends, and said'l'evershaving forked inner ends,andacam. haying a pluforked inner'ends of the levers engaging a pluralityfof said, cams simultaneously 'such'; fmanner 'thatbo'dily movement of the rotor,

about the camimparts reciprocationflto the pistons within the cylindersin'such manner as to give a plurality of power strokes for *2. structure'as recite 'drin claim combination with an oil reservoir within the housing, means forsupplyingoillto the'res i I ervoir 'fromvthe exterior of the fixed shaft I voir and discharging it to the pivot points of the said levers, and oil channels formedfin vthe levers and the piston rods for conducting theoil to the pistons in the cylinders.

- A device of the character described, com a prlslng a fixedshaft, a rotor, a plurality of i cylinders, tangentially-disposed upon said rotor, *pistons'in sa'idcyli'nders, piston rods connected to said pistons, levers pivotally connected at their outer ends to "the piston rods, said levers belng pivoted upon the rotor j at their inner ends, and said levers'having 

